BY ARTHUR WHITE. 215 



Tlie Em'piche fomi a veiy large family of small flies of 

 inconspicuous appearance, which sometimes occur in 

 great abundance. They are predaceous in their 

 habits, preying on other diptera. Their habits are some- 

 what diverse. Species of HiJara occur flying in numbers 

 over the surface of pools and streams, or, more rarely, over 

 the bare ground ; species of Em pis may be found frequent- 

 ing flowers or dancing in the air ; those of Leptopeza fre- 

 quenting low vegetation. The greater number of Tas- 

 manian species occur in the spring time, whilst two species 

 are found in midwinter; during the height of summer but 

 few species are to' be met with. 



It will be noticed that in the j^i'esent Paper I have 

 adopted the spelling E nip idee and Leptidce, rather than 

 tliat of EmpididcE and Leptididce, as now used by some 

 entomologists. The former spelling has been in use for 

 over a century, and is formed in the usual way from 

 typical genera. The latter spelling is derived from the 

 supposed plural forms of Euipix and Leptis; a generic 

 name, however, can only exist in the singular, as there 

 cannot be more than one genus of the name of Euipis, or 

 one of that of Lepti-f. Therefore the spelling Empididxe 

 and Leptididce is derived from words, which, notwithstand- 

 ing their Greek origin, have no existence in scientific 

 nomenclature. Under these circumstances I consider that 

 the words E inpididce and Leptididce are not only pedantic, 

 but also incorrect. 



For our present knowledge of the Australian Empidce. 

 we are largely indebted to Dr. M. Bezzi's ''Empididi 

 Indo-Atistrcd iani Raccoiti dal Signor L. Bir6,'' * in which 

 twenty Australian species are listed. Very little atten- 

 tion, however, " has so far been paid to the Tasmanian 

 species, and I am now able to record twenty-three species 

 from Tasmania alone, whilst there is no doubt that when 

 the wetter parts of the island are properly investigated 

 this number will be largely increased. 



Five subfamilies have been recorded from the Australian 

 mainland, of which only three are at jDresent known from 

 Tasmania, but as the other two are almost certain to 

 occur, I give the distinctions betw^een all the five sub- 

 families. 



Tcdjle of the Ausfraliau SuhfamilieH C)f Empidce. 



1. Anal cell wanting; discal cell united with the second 

 basal cell. TaehydPomiinsB 



Anal cell present. 2 



*Annal€s Musei Nationalis Hungarici, 1904. 



